Acetylene-gas generator.



Pafented Nov. 2`5, |902 F. M. Monge. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 13, 1 902.; (Il o- M o d el 4 me cams PETERS ou,Pnn'ro-uvrna. wAsHmaroN. o c,

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. MOORE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AC ETY LEN E-GAS G EN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,318, dated November25, 1902.

Application filed February 13 1902. Serial No. 98,925. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. MOORE, a citi- O zen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAcetylene-Gas Generators; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators.

`tors, which is so constructed as to prevent clogging of thecarbid-holder by the waste or residuum, and which is provided withsimple and eective means for preventing overgeneration. i i

Withthis and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the in-` vention is better understood-the said inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction and combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described ,I definedin the appended claims, and illustrated `in the accompanying drawings,lin whichv Figure 1 is a perspective view of an acetylene-gas generatorembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of thesame. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figui is asection through the cap and washer onan enlargedscale. i Referring nowmore particularly to the drawings, the `numeral 1 represents a base,

which may be of the form shown to adapt the generator for application toa lantern of the character `stated or of any other approved formsuitable tothe use to which the generatoris to be put. This base carriesthe water tank or receptacle 2, which is open at top to receive thegenerator 3. The generator 3 consists of a casing 1l, provided in itstop with an eduction-opening 5 for the outiiow of the generated gas andsuitably constrgcted to receive the burner-fitting 6. The lower end ofthe casing is open for the insertion and removal of the carbid-holder,&c. and is adapted to be closed by a screw-cap 7. This `cap has a seator chamber Sfor the reception of a disk or washer 9, formed of felt orsome other suitable absorbent material, and is provided with afeed-opening 10 for the flow of water from the tank 2 to the generator,the feed of which is controlled by a pivoted upwardlyopening valve 11.Below this valve the opening 10 is screw-threaded to receive a hollowscrew-threaded cap-plu g 12,formed with ports 13, through which whensaid plug is loosened to expose said ports the water from the reservoir2passes to the opening 10. The edges of the heads of the cap 7 and plug12 are milled or serrated for affording a firm grip in manipulatingthem, and the said plug carries a washer 14 to eifect a gas and watertight closure of the opening 10 when the plug is screwed up tight toclose said opening. The casing 4 has a sleeve 15, which when the casingis tted in the water-tank 2 incloses and frictionally engages the wallof said tank to close the tank and hold the parts connected. The sleevealso forms, with the generator-casing, a well 16, surrounding thegenerator and into which the water from the tank rises when the partsare assembled.

- The carbid-holder 17 is in form of an openended perforated cylindercage or basket and seats at its lower end within the chamber 8 of thecap 7 and is closed at its said lower end by the absorbent disk 9,whichcovers and protects the valve 11 from the carbid. The cylinder or basketis of sufciently less diameter than the casing to form between it andthe casing an annular chamber large enough for the reception oftheslaked earbid or residuum, as hereinafter described. In the sleeve orshield 15 is formed an aperture 18, which allows air'to enter as thewater lowers in the well. In priming the generator for operation thetank 2 is suppliedto the desired height with IOO water, thecarbid-holder filled with carbid, the holder inserted,with the cap 7 ,inposition, the plug 12 unscrewed to open the ports 13, and the generatorthen fitted in the tank, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The insertion ofthe generator into the tank displaces a quantity of the water, whichrises in the Well 16 and creates the necessary head or pressure by whichthe feed of the water to the carbid is secured. The water feeds from thetank through the ports 13 into the passage 10, and under its pressurethe valve 1l is opened and the water enters the carbid-holder and istaken up by the absorbent disk 9. The generation of gas then commencesand is continued so long as the water is supplied and .the carbid lastsor until the amount of gas generated exceeds the amount being consumedand the pressure of the gas is greater than the head on the column ofwater, when the valve 11 is closed against the water-pressure by theconfined gas. When the pressure of the gas decreases to the properdegree, the valve is again opened under the pressure of the water, wateris supplied to the absorbent disk, and the generation of gas is resumed.The device is thus entirely automatic in action in controlling thegeneration of gas according to the amount being consumed and insuressafety against overpressure and explosions. This is also the case whenthe burner is temporarily extinguished by the closing of the valvecontrolling the flow of gas thereto and the generator contains water andcarbid. Generation will continue, unless the plug 12 is closed, untilthe pressure of the gas is sufficient to close the valve. As leakage andcondensation cannot be prevented,the pressure of the gas confined in thegenerator will decrease and the generation of gas will again commence;but as soon as the pressure of the gas reaches a certain pointgeneration will again be arrested, and this will continue until thesupply of carbid and water is exhausted.

When it is desired to stop the generation of gas for any considerabletime, as when the lantern is extinguished and put aside for a number ofhours or days, the plug 12 is preferably closed to prevent waste of thecarbid; but in the event that the closing of the plug should beforgotten no harm beyond the waste of the carbid could ensue, as thegeneration of gas would be automatically arrested in the manner beforedescribed before the pressure could reach the danger-point.

The object of employing a perforate carbid-holder and forming a spacebetween said holder and the wall of the generator-casing is to providefor the automatic discharge of the slaked carbid or residuum from theholder before it packs in the holder and interferes with the access ofthe Water to the carbid and the generation of gas. It has been found inpractice that Where this construction is employed in a portable lanternwhich is kept in more or less constant motion or swung, asrailwaylanterns are in giving signais, that the agitation producedcauses the waste carbid to discharge through the meshes or perforationsof the holder and to bank up in the space around the holder, therebypreventing the objection referred to.

The absorbent or bibulous disk 9 is of peculiar importance in itsspecified relation to the carbid-holder and valve 11, as it acts in thenature of a barrier in the water-feed passage to prevent thewater fromgushing or spurting or feeding too fast to the carbid and insures thefeed of an even and regular amount of water at all times, the amountbeing determined by the quantity which the disk is capable of absorbingor taking up, thereby preventing any sudden variations of pressure. Thisis of prime importance in lanterns of the character stated, wherein themotion of the lantern tends to feed the water with force to thegenerator. The disk also prevents choking of the valve by the access ofthe carbid thereto and alfordsa surface of the requisite area againstwhich the gas may act to close the valve when the pressure of the gasreaches the maximum.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with thelaccompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation,and advantages of my improved acetylenegas generator will be readilyapparent without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthis invention. 1

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a water-receptacle, agenerator-casing of less diameter than the water-receptacle and adaptedto'seat therein, said casing having a bottom opening, a cap for closingsaid bottom opening and provided with a feed-passage, a valvecontrolling said passage and adapted to open under the pressure of thewater and to close automatically when the pressure of the gas exceedsthe pressure of the water, a carbid-holder within the generator andinsertible and Withdrawable through the bottom opening, and a sleeve orshield carried by the generator and adapted to fit about thewater-receptacle and forming a well for the reception of the waterrising from the receptacle when the generator is fitted therein,substantially as described.

2. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a water-receptacle, agenerator-casing adapted to seat within the water-receptacle anddetachable therefrom, a carbid-holder arranged within thegenerator-casing, a cap closing the lower end of the generator-casingand provided with a feed-passage for the flow of water from thereceptacle to the carbid-holder,

IOO

IIO

to be closed automatically when the pressure of gas exceeds the pressureof the water, and means for closing the passage to the entrance ofwater, substantially as set forth.

u lO

. valve carried by the cap and controlling saidl 3. An acetylene-gasgenerator comprising a water-receptacle, a generator-casing adapted toseat within the water-receptacle and detachable therefrom, acarbid-holder arranged,

within the generator-casing, a cap closing the `lower end of thegenerator-casing and provided with anfeed-passage for the low of waterfrom the receptacle to the carbid-holder,

a valve controlling said passage and adapted to open under the pressureof the water and to be closed automatically when the pressure of gasexceeds the pressure of the water, and a ported plug for closing thepassage to the entrance of water, substantially as set forth.

l 4:. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a water-receptacle, agenerator-casing of less diameter than the water-receptacle and adaptedto seat therein, said casing having a bottom opening, a cap for closingsaid bottom opening and provided with a feed-passage, a

passage and adapted to open under the pressure of the water and to closeautomatically when the pressure of the gas exceeds the pressure of thewater, a carbid-holder within the generator and insertible andWithdrawable through the bottom opening, said holder being supported bythe cap, a barrierof absorbent material located above the valve andclosing the bottom ot' the holder, and a sleeve or shield carried by thegenerator and adapted to fit about the water-receptacle and forming` awel] for the reception of the water rising from the receptacle when thegenerator is iitted therein, substantially as speciiiecl.

5. An acetylene-gas generator comprisinga Water-receptacle, agenerator-casing of less diameter than the water-receptacle and adaptedto seat therein, said casing having a bottom opening, a cap for closingsaid bottom opening and provided with a feed-passage, a valve carried bythe cap and controlling said passage and adapted to open under thepressure of the water and to close automatically when the pressure ofthe gas exceeds the pressure of the water, a carbid-holder supported bythe cap and insertible `and withdrawable p through the bottom opening,said holder comprising a perforated cylinder of less diameter than thegenerator, leaving an intervening space for the reception of the wastecarbid which discharges through the perforations in the cylinder, abarrier of absorbent material between the valve and carbid and closingthe lower end ot' the carbid-holder, and a sleeve or shield carried bythe generator and adapted to fit about the Water-receptacle and forminga Well for the reception of the water rising from the receptacle whenthe generator is iitted therein, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- Witnesses:

HARRY T. VIoLL, HARRY JORDAN.

